Suddenly, I’m scrutinizing every inch of my outfit like some fashionista. There’s nothing even special about it. I’m just wearing a maroon cropped sweater over dark high-waisted jeans and sneakers, my hair pulled up in a messy high ponytail.
“Since when did you start caring about what you look like?” I mutter at my reflection.
Since Rohan asked me out, that’s when. He’s the kind of guy who can easily choose among the prettiest and girliest girls in school and yet he went after me. If that’s not enough to make a girl conscious of her appearance, I don’t know what is.
Rolling my eyes at my newfound vanity, I turn to grab my bag from my bed. I’ll just wait for Dylan and Kristen downstairs. They’ll be here in a minute, anyway.
I didn’t ask Kristen if they managed to iron things out over the weekend. But I’m sure they did. Hell, I’ll probably be subjected once again to a torturous PDA.
It’s okay. I’ve mastered my poker face.
Turning toward the door, I pause when it opens, watching Mom walk inside, already dressed for work.
“Honey, your ride is already here.”
Great. Right on time. “Okay, I’m coming down now.”
But she doesn’t move out of the way. She tilts her head a little to the side, as if to study me. “You look pretty today. Did you put some makeup on?”
Really, Mom? I only ever wear lip-gloss and she already knows that. I hold back an eye-roll. “No, I didn’t. Can I go now?”
She finally steps aside. But she’s apparently not done yet. “Well, honey, you’re positively glowing. Is it because of that cute boy? What’s his name again? Rohan?”
Ugh. Not this again.
Instead of answering, I give her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Shoot, we’re gonna be late. See you later.”
“But—”
Yeah, I don’t let her finish. I’m already running out the door and practically flying down the stairs. I can’t let her catch up to me.
I only let out a sigh of relief when I finally step out into the front porch, a little out of breath.
Like Mom said, Dylan’s pickup is in the driveway waiting for me. Adam’s car is no longer there, probably on his way to Madison’s house to pick her up.
I walk over to the pickup. “Hey, did I keep you guys—” I cut myself off and blink at the front passenger seat, which is empty. “Where’s Kristen?”
Dylan just grunts. “Get in.”
Great. Grumpy Dylan is still around. I’m in for a quiet ride again.
Sighing, I climb into the front seat.
I keep sneaking glances at him as he drives us to school, trying to gauge if he’s pissed or just not in the mood. Is he still not talking to Kristen?
I thought they already kissed and made up last Saturday. Back at the mall, I remember Kristen saying she’d go talk to him once she got home. I guess their conversation didn’t turn out the way she expected.
I don’t know how to feel about it. On one hand, I’m relieved she’s not around. I’ve had enough torture riding with them to school every day. Especially when she acts all sweet toward Dylan. Or when she kisses him right in front of me—yeah, even when he’s driving.
On the other, I kinda feel bad for her. Dylan’s being a complete ass.
I can’t believe I’m actually going to talk some sense into him and convince him to make up with her. A week ago, I wanted them to break up. I wanted her away from him. A part of me still does, if I’m being honest. But I can’t be selfish because this isn’t about me.
“You should talk to her, D.”
He clenches his jaw. “Just drop it, okay?”
I ignore him. “She looked so upset at the mall. What did you guys fight about, anyway?”
He doesn’t respond, just puts the car in park. That’s when I notice we’re already in the school’s parking lot.
Well, if he thinks I’m going to let this go, he’s wrong. Something’s obviously bothering him enough to affect his relationship with Kristen. What kind of a best friend am I if I don’t talk to him about it? Even if it’s the last thing I want to do, I still want to help him fix it.
“Look, Kristen—”
“What do you care?” he sneers. “You’re not even friends.”
I feel like I’ve been slapped in the face. “She may not be my friend. But you? You’re my best friend. Whether you like it or not, I care. So deal with it, okay?” My eyes burn, but I blink it away.
Remorse fills his eyes. “Bianca—fuck,” he curses, rubbing a hand over his face, his frustration clear.
“Seriously, D. What the hell is your problem?” And then it hits me. What if—? Swallowing hard, I ask, “Is it because of Rohan?”
Dylan meets my gaze, his dark eyes searing mine. What do you think?
I suck in a breath, my heart starting to race. “Why?”
Tell me because you’re jealous of him.
But he doesn’t respond. He simply looks away.
That pisses me the hell off. “So, what, you can get yourself a girlfriend but I can’t have a boyfriend? You can hook up with whoever you want, but I can’t even go on a date? Well, screw you, D. You’re not my keeper. You don’t get to stop me from doing what I want.”
His nostrils flare. “And he’s what you want?”
No. You. “Yes.”
He stares at me for a moment, as if searching for something. When I keep my poker face, his features become void of any emotion. “Then we have nothing else to talk about anymore. Whatever’s going on between Kristen and me doesn’t concern you.”
That… That’s not just a slap to the face. It’s a punch.
“Fine,” I say coldly. “Have fun being miserable.” I jerk the passenger open and get out of his truck, angrily swiping away the tears that suddenly fall down my cheeks.
I can’t believe Dylan made me cry. We’ve had a lot of silly fights in the past. But this… This is the first time I’ve ended up crying. And it sucks.
The rest of the day passes with me avoiding him. But it turns out I don’t have to. He doesn’t turn up at lunch. I also don’t see him in class. Did he ditch school?
Whatever. I don’t care. I refuse to seek him out when he’s being a dick. He can drown himself in misery all he wants.
Sometime after lunch, I approach Kristen at her locker, but she pretty much ignores me. Her friends even sneer at me when I try to start a conversation. Guess our “friendship” is dependent on whether things are good between her and Dylan. Good to know.
When the last period ends, I go to the only person I can think of to help me try to make sense of it all. Nick is smoking outside the back building when I find him.
“The last time I saw you here, you were making out with Shelby Miller.”
He shoots me a clueless look. “Shelby who?”
I hold back a laugh. I feel sorry for all the girls he hooked up with. “You suck.”
He smirks. “No. But she probably did.”
I gag at the involuntary mental image. “Dude, seriously, don’t say shit like that in front of me.”
He just shrugs. “You started it.”
Time to change the subject. “Have you seen Dylan?”
“Didn’t he bail out? His truck isn’t in its usual spot, and I heard his girl crying to her friends.” Imitating a girly voice, he cries, “Why would he rather miss school than make up with me?”
A bubble of laughter escapes me. “You’re such a jerk.” Then my laughter dies out and I frown. “Why is he being an ass, Nick? He wouldn’t even tell me what’s going on.”
He takes a drag of his cigarette. “Give him some time. He’s just starting to figure things out.”
“What things?”
“Things he’s starting to realize that he truly wants.” He sounds annoyingly cryptic. Does he know something I don’t?
“You do know you’re not making any sense, right?” And here I thought he could help me find out the truth.
Nick simply lets out a slow smile. “Don’t
worry, B. You’ll find out soon enough. That guy is about to explode.”
“Who’s about to explode?” a voice behind me suddenly interjects.
“Jesus, Sloan.”
Sloan points a finger at me. “You’re jumpy, dudette.” He moves toward Nick, fishing a cigarette from his back pocket. “Help a friend out, brother.” After getting it lit by Nick’s lighter, he turns back to me. “What are we discussing?”
“Dylan,” Nick says before I can motion for him to shut up.
“Yeah? What’s up with our boy Dylan? He’s been acting weird lately.”
“Mallick is showing interest in Bianca.”
My eyes bug out. “What the hell, Nick?”
“He knows. Trust me.”
“Know what?” Did he tell Sloan about my secret? “I swear I’m going to—”
Sloan cuts me off. “And D hasn’t killed him yet?”
“Why the hell would he do that?” I demand.
“Because, dudette, our boy Dylan has been scaring every guy who ever dared to show interest in you. He’s been doing it since sophomore year.”
“He WHAT?!”
Blinking at my outburst, Sloan turns to Nick. “Huh. She really didn’t know. Guess I owe you ten bucks.”
“Twenty bucks now.” When Sloan sputters, Nick shrugs. “Inflation, man.”
“Dude, we only made the bet two years ago.”
“Exactly.”
I stare at the two of them, dumbfounded. They actually made a bet? These two are nuts. Why am I even friends with them?
No. Wait. That’s not the issue here.
“Why would Dylan scare guys off of me? I’ve never heard of that happening. Not even once. And surely, if he’s been going around threatening people, some of them were bound to fight back. But Dylan has never gotten into fights.”
“He’s big and scary. He doesn’t have to use his fists to scare people off. Now have you seen him use his eyes? If looks can kill.” Sloan shudders.
“What about the few ones who pursued me for weeks? They didn’t even look threatened.”
“That’s because they were all harmless,” he says. “He only goes after the guys who have a good chance at getting into your pants.”
I give him a blank stare.
He shakes his head and starts to count off with his fingers. “Stoner Tony, Hipster Leslie, Weird Wally—and what about that dude who always calls for his mommy whenever he trips during PE? What do they have in common?”
I open my mouth only to close it again.
“They’re all losers. You will never go for those guys.”
“You make me sound like a bitch.”
“No. You have standards. There’s a difference,” he says in an airy voice it almost makes me laugh.
I shoot Nick an incredulous look, but he just nods like Sloan is making perfect sense.
“You’ve lost your damn minds.” I turn to leave but Sloan stops me by holding on to my shoulders.
He’s now sporting a serious look on his face. “Dudette, you’re downright the scariest chick in this school.” My scowl deepens, but he ignores that. “You’re also one of the hottest.”
I blush and roll my eyes.
He ignores that, too. “Did you honestly think no one wanted to ask you out? I’m a guy and trust me when I tell you there are a lot of them who want to. They just don’t want to mess with Big D.”
“Don’t say Big D.”
“Big D.”
Ugh. I blow out an exasperated breath. But I guess it all makes sense now. Like how those guys who propositioned me for a hookup didn't ask the question again. Hell, they even acted like they didn’t know me at all afterwards. Was it because of Dylan? Did he threaten to cut their balls off or something?
I wince when I remember it was partly my fault. Whenever someone hits on me like that, I always complain to Dylan. In my defense, I was just ranting about those incidents. I had no idea he was actually doing something about it.
But now that I know what’s going on, he can bet his meddling ass that I will be saying something about it. And he will never hear the end of it.
“In short, tell your boy Mallick that if he values his life, he should run as far from you as possible,” Nick tells me.
“If Big D didn’t get to him first.”
My eyes narrow into slits. Not if Big D is already dead.
Thirteen
Turns out my plan of kicking Dylan’s infuriating ass has to wait. My parents chose Monday night, of all nights, to go on a date. And Adam is over at Maddie’s house.
So I’m the one staying at home with my little sister. Right now, we’re in the family room watching Tangled a.k.a. Peach’s most favorite movie in the world. She’s watched this like a million times and she still has no intention of stopping. Even though she’s already memorized practically every line in the film.
Shoveling a spoonful of Ben & Jerry’s into my mouth, I entertain myself by scrolling through Facebook. It also serves a good distraction to keep myself from charging to the McCaffertys’ like a madwoman. But I’m damn tempted to do just that.
I’m still furious over what I learned from Nick and Sloan. Where does Dylan get off meddling with my love life like that? When I’ve never interfered with his? I may bitch out whenever he’s hooking up with some girl. But I’ve never, not even once, outright sabotaged it. He’s always been free to do whatever he wants to do. So he has absolutely no right to be all up in my business.
I clench my fist so hard my nails are digging into my skin. I’m so upset right now I want to scream. But that will only scare Peach.
Sweet Peach who chooses the moment to giggle at the screen.
I plaster a forced smile and run my hand through her hair, tucking an errant lock behind her ear. She doesn’t even pry her eyes away from the TV. Oh, to be a kid and not have a care in the world again.
Sighing, I turn my attention back to my phone and instantly frown at what I’m seeing.
“Make a girl cry and you will regret it for the rest of your life.”
“Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option.”
“You may have broken her heart, but you’d never break the person she is.”
They are all quotes posted by Kristen on her Facebook page. And she only posted them within the last hour. What is going on?
I’m about to click on the comments and see what’s up when the doorbell rings. Setting my phone down on the coffee table, I head to the front door and pull it open.
My scowl comes out in an instant. “What are you doing here?”
Dylan is standing in our front porch, his eyes downcast. Glancing up, he clears his throat. “Can I come in?”
I’m tempted to tell him to get lost, but that will be counterproductive, seeing as he has a lot of explaining to do. Instead of letting him in though, I step outside and close the door behind me.
He looks a little hurt so I quickly explain. “I don’t want to disturb Peach. She’s in the family room watching a movie.”
Dylan nods distractedly. Is he eyeing my legs?
I cross my arms over my chest, suddenly conscious of the fact that I’m wearing short shorts and braless under my shirt. “If you came here to piss me off even more—”
“So you’re still mad at me,” he says gruffly.
I grit my teeth and look away. Of course I’m still mad. But I’m also confused and upset and hurt. What’s more, I feel betrayed. All those feelings combined makes me very very frustrated. They make me want to cry in front of Dylan again.
Seeing my distress, he steps closer, his heat surrounding me. Then he’s cupping my chin. “Look at me. Please.”
I snap my head up, ready to yell at him, but almost suck in a breath at the searing intensity in his eyes. They’re dark and full of emotion. “Dylan—”
“I’m fucking sorry, B. I’m a dumbass. I shouldn’t have made you cry.”
At his words, I scowl, remembering. I swat his hand away and s
tep back. Then shiver and hug myself, noticing the cold for the first time. Why did I think it was a good idea to talk outside, anyway?
Dylan sighs and wordlessly takes off his jacket, then drapes it over my shoulders, engulfing me in his familiar cool, woodsy scent.
I blink at him in surprise, but then I quickly remember he’s always done this in the past. Even when there was another girl hanging by his side and loudly complaining about the cold, if he saw me shivering, he would put his jacket around me.
But what if it comes down between me and Kristen, who will he choose?
“Bianca.”
I shake my thoughts away. “Tell me, is it true that you’ve been scaring guys off from dating me?”
“Who told you that?”
“That’s not a denial.”
“I’m not denying anything.” He doesn’t even look the least bit guilty.
“So it is true?” I feel my temper rising again. “Who the hell do you think you are, Dylan? My dad? God, you have no idea how badly I want to kick your ass right now. ”
He starts to pace the porch like a caged animal. “I’m not going to apologize for that. None of them is good enough for you.”
“And how could you have known that? You already made your judgement before they could even prove themselves.” I’m already yelling but I couldn’t care less if the neighbors can hear me.
A muscle in his jaw tics. “I’m a guy, Bianca. I know how they operate.”
“But not all guys are like you, D. Not all of them bed and dismiss a girl in a span of ten minutes.”
The words make him flinch. He runs a hand through his hair and barks out a dark laugh. “Jesus, you make me sound like an asshole.”
“You are an asshole.” But you are my asshole—at least you used to be. I take a deep breath to calm my raging nerves. “Listen, it stops now, okay? That overprotective bullshit ends now. Or I swear—”
He stops pacing. “You really like him that much, huh?”
“Who?”
Dylan rolls his eyes. “Mallick.”
“Oh.”
I like Rohan. But do I like him a lot? I don’t know. All I know is that I’m willing to see how it goes between us. It’s why I agreed to go on a date with him in the first place.
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